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Novak Djokovic's journey to the top was an arduous one as he had to face not one, but two of the sport's greatest players.
Roger Federer's dominance in the mid-2000s saw him script numerous records. Rafael Nadal joined the party soon, and their duopoly over the sport led to them sharing quite a few achievements.
Djokovic, however, broke Federer and Nadal's stranglehold starting with his incredible 2011 season. The Serb went a step further in 2015, setting a new benchmark for tennis with this results that year as he dismantled the field with ease.
Eight years down the line, Djokovic is still breaking records and scripting new feats. While Federer retired in 2022, Nadal has been plagued by injuries over the past year. The Serb, on the other hand, is showing no signs of slowing down.
On that note, here are a few records which Djokovic claimed for himself this season, surpassing his fiercest rivals:
#1 - Most Grand Slam titles won by a male player
At the start of the 2022 season, the trio were tied at 20 Majors each. Nadal took the lead in the Grand Slam race for the first time by winning the Australian Open and the French Open last year. The Serb closed the gap by securing his 21st Major title at Wimbledon.
But the Nadal's claim over the feat lasted for a little over a year. Djokovic tied the Spaniard's tally at this year's Australian Open, and later broke the record by winning the French Open.
After chasing Nadal and Federer for most of his career, Djokovic finally captured one of the biggest records in tennis. He later extended his record by winning the US Open, his 24th Grand Slam title.
#2 - Most titles won at the ATP Finals
The ATP Finals is an elite event on the men's circuit and carries the most prestige after the Majors. Only the top eight performers of the season are eligible to compete in it, so the competition is quite tough.
Nadal has never won the ATP Finals in his career, and that stat is likely to remain unchanged. Federer, on the other hand, won six titles at the season-ending championships, with his last triumph coming in 2011.
Djokovic's first title here came in 2008, but he didn't win his next one until 2012. He then walked away as the victor for three consecutive years.
The Serb hit a wall after that. It took him seven years to tie Federer's record, which he did by capturing his sixth title in 2022.
Djokovic has now broken Federer's long-standing record with his recent triumph at the ATP Finals, the seventh of his career. He defeated Jannik Sinner in the final to overtake the Swiss's haul.
#3 - Most Grand Slam semifinals
Federer's consistency at the Majors was quite remarkable, as he kept making one deep run after another. By the end of his career, he had made the semifinals at the Grand Slams on 46 occasions.
Djokovic reached the finals of all four Majors this year and with it, wiped off another one of Federer's records. His semifinal showing at the US Open was the 47th of his career, pushing the Swiss down to second place.
#4 - First and only player to achieve the Triple Career Grand Slam
Winning all four Major is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish. Doing it once is a feat in itself, but repeating it is even more impressive. Managing it thrice is an otherwordly feat, one which Djokovic achieved this year.
The Serb was on level terms with Nadal, along with Rod Laver and Roy Emerson, as the only players to have won each Major on two occasions. Djokovic's victory at this year's French Open made him the first and only male player to have won all four Majors thrice.
The achivement has now separated Djokovic from Nadal in another key metric, further cementing his status at the top of the sport.
#5 - Most matches played and won against top 10 players
Given how seedings and rankings work, a top 10 player can only face another of their cohorts if they make the latter stages of a tournament. Winning a few matches over a top 10 player in a single season is a commendable feat, but to best them over multiple years is even more impressive.
Federer held the record for most matches contested against top 10 opposition with 347. At the start of 2023, Djokovic was close to breaking the record as he had faced top 10 players 341 times.
Djokovic's frequent deep runs this season saw him encounter top 10 players on 21 occasions, to take his total to 368. Thus, he not only bettered Federer's record, but zoomed past it quite comfortably. He extended his record for most wins over top 10 players too, and his current tally stands at 257 wins.
Federer is second on the list with 224 wins over top 10 players, while Nadal is third with 186.
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